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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bass — low music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. field — a subject
  12. kick — in football
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a line
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — to paddle
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com